Okay, Wayne, tell us something we don't already know. We know you like to state the obvious, and built your blog around it, but give us something new for a change.
As a collective whole, bloggers are a powerful force in the media. In fact, bloggers have already exerted their will onto the mainstream stage, with the recent Rathergate issue.
Regardless of your political position, it's very obvious that bloggers had a major impact on the world of journalism.
As my friend David St. Lawrence of Ripples points out:
...as long as there are bloggers who write rationally and document their
sources, blogs will continue to exert more and more influence on everyday life.
In fact, as David concludes, even bloggers are somewhat surprised at their effectiveness, when working as a united force.
Whether the bloggers or Dan Rather were correct on the issue, is not really the point here.
As my readers already know, I don't take a political stand, as I have problems with all of the major political parties. I prefer less government in every way, including in our lives.
Instead of discussing the politics and facts of the case, as viewed by both sides, I prefer to examine the role of bloggers, in the entire Rathergate affair.
The politics are discussed on many other political and legal blogs, and many of them have examined both sides of the issue very well. I leave the politics to others.
If bloggers ever had a moment in the sun, however, this is it.
If for any reason, the blogging community was in error, the members of the blogosphere are very self correcting.
The sheer number of bloggers, who look at political matters, ensures that ideas will be looked over and weighed many times. Some bloggers will take entirely different stances than others. That is a great thing for freedom and for democracy.
When individual voices speak up, and are heard, everyone benefits whether everyone agrees with the message or not. That is one of the powers of blogging.
The last thing we need is a leash placed on bloggers. There is certainly no need for any watchdog. The blogging community will police itself very well, thank you.
I will say this.
Bloggers bring highly specialized skills, knowledge, and abilities to the computer table.
With that massive knowledge and talent base behind it, blogs will be a media force to be reckoned with in the future.
Let that talent and ability display itself and the news media will have a powerful partner in uncovering the truth on many issues.
Blogging is a conversation, making it much different from the big three of television, radio, and newspapers. Bloggers talk back and forth and quote and debate one another. The idea is about developing dialogue, as a powerful reason for maintaining a blog, in the first place.
Muzzle the blogging community, whether for or against any political party or media position, and everyone suffers.
Let bloggers be bloggers.
The truth will be presented on the blogs, sooner or later.
It will appear in the conversation between blogs.
